Darby's Fried pickles, Deli George in a Pickle

Nampa eatery re-opens and Fairview deli looks for a new home

If BW's March 16 steakspose on Idaho beef got you salivating for a sirloin, you're in luck. The space that formerly housed Darby's at the Market in downtown Nampa officially reopened on March 5 as Darby's Bistro and Lounge.

"The menu has changed. We shrunk it a little bit," said manager Jared Sullivan. "We do a prime rib, rib-eye and sirloin steak dinner on Friday and Saturday nights only from 5-9 p.m., and then we have a bistro menu that has burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, fried pickles."

The restaurant closed in August 2010 for remodeling.

"The construction took a lot longer than we wanted it to. It was only supposed to take about three months," said Sullivan.

The space now features a full bar upstairs with pool tables and a bistro menu served Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dinner service on Friday and Saturday nights ends early at 9 p.m., when the new downstairs dance club fires up the live music. 112 13th Ave. S., Nampa, 208-461-0113.

Longtime Fairview Ave. sandwich shop Deli George is in a pickle. Owner George Blumenschein planned on expanding into a new location on Emerald and Orchard streets beginning June 1 but the deal went sour.

"We started to outgrow our place, and my son is a chef from Boulder, [Colo.], and he wanted to do a few more things and needed a bit more space so we found a nice location ... we signed the lease and put forth the deposit and something went south on both of our ends," said Blumenschein. "Great Harvest, next to us, who was excited about expanding, took our lease [on Fairview]."

Now Deli George is searching for a new location to house their operation, temporarily or permanently, before June 1.

"Right now we have until June 1 to find a home," said Blumenschein. "We have leads and most of them are what we call a 'desperation lead.' If nothing shakes out of the bushes, that's just where we're going to have to go to continue operation."

In opening news: Aspen Leaf Frozen Yogurt on Eighth Street will have its official grand opening on Saturday, March 26. Chinese restaurant Asian Wok is now open on State and 35th streets. And 44 North Vodka has opened an online store that offers, among other things, Magic Valley pearl cocktail onions.